Eric Gonzalez

COMMUNITY PARTNER IN JUSTICE NOTIFICATION

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 56-year-old Williamsburg man has been indicted on charges of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related counts stemming from the July 2016 hit-and-run death of 35-year-old Queens cyclist and advocate Matthew von Ohlen.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, in the early morning on July 2, 2016, the defendant, Juan Maldonado, 56, of Williamsburg, was speeding in a black Chevy Camaro near Grand Street and Manhattan Avenue when he allegedly swerved into a bike lane on Grand Street, sped through a red light and struck von Ohlen from behind, knocking him off his bike. According to the investigation, the defendant continued driving, running over the victim and dragging him 10 to 20 feet as he sped away.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “A young man who was an active member of Brooklyn’s biking community lost his life because a speeding driver struck him in a designated bike lane and sped away. This was not an accident, but rather a reckless act for which we intend to hold this defendant accountable.”

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An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.